Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge ...
- Don Henley

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Found a new place for my latte this morning. Java Jax has a totally different vibe, like that of a 1950s hot dog stand. It has its own port cochere, so, at some point, it might have served a ritzier clientele. It is quiet and clean, with few distractions. I found a perfect spot for writing and reflecting. The stool i am perched on is the right height for me, as is the counter. There is a huge window overlooking the intersection of Georgia and Sonoma, in downtown Vallejo. Watching the world go by is its own distraction. There is also a New York Times on the counter. Just another reason to live in this neighborhood.

Yesterday, Chelsea and I woke up early, and met Megan and Chris in Concord. We watched the sunrise as we drove to Monterey. After waiting for almost four cold hours in the hangar at Skydive Monterey, we watched Chelsea jump from an airplane 18,000 feet above this earth.

It was so much fun hanging out with them, like having all the rewards of mothering smart, beautiful daughters, without having to endure what all mothers have to go through to reach the point where everyone is sitting in a restaurant on Fishermen's Wharf, laughing and enjoying a meal together.

Chelsea did great (this was her fifth (!) jump), although she did hurt her ankle.

The whole day has been unbelievable. Here I am, on the other side of the country, in a place i had not heard of a few months ago. I did not know places like this existed. But they do, and I belong here.

I am getting a lot of wear out of my wool sweater from Norway. The temps have been in the forties, and it has been grey and dark. Patricia Hoben texted me from Vero, saying it is in the 80s there. I am glad for them and the other tourists, but i am loving this chill.

About Me

I am finally doing what i have always wanted to do, which is to run away and explore the world, starting with the USA.
My goal is to see as many of the fifty states as I can in a year to eighteen months.